Build Relationships: Change Lives through LINKS Student advisement Program

1. Build Relationships: Change Lives through LINKS Student advisement Program Barbara Ashcraft, MA, LPC School Counseling Coordinator

2. Personalizing the Learning Environment “High schools of the 21st century must be much more student-centered and above all much more personalized in programs, support services and intellectual rigor.” This means every student should have a personal adult advocate and a Personal Plan of Progress. NASSP. (2004). Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for Leading High School Reform

3. System of Support

4. Guidance: What is it? Guidance The help all students receive from parents, teachers, counselors, community members and others to assist with educational and career development Counseling The help some students receive from credentialed professionals to overcome personal and social problems that interfere with learning.

5. What is Advisement? 1. A process to help each student improve his/her chances for success in school, preparation for a variety of post-secondary options and long-term employment 2. A comprehensive plan to provide students with skills and background to make decisions about his/her education and career 3. A plan to aid students in developing self-awareness, option awareness, and decision-making skills

6. LINKS Student Advisement… 21st century students need more than reading, writing, and arithmetic; they must be able to solve problems, think critically, communicate effectively, and work in teams.

7. LINKS Student Advisement… The advisor/advisee curriculum will bridge the gap between what is taught in the core curriculum and the skills necessary in the work place by addressing six major Skills Areas: Self-Knowledge, Life Skills, Educational Development, Work Ethics, and Career Planning.

8. 21st century Reality “In an ever-changing global environment where interdependency abounds, the best and highest quality of education is a necessity no longer reserved for the few, but demanded for all. ” ~Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution

9. 2007 Pawley’s Group Report • Recommendation 7 – Develop a state model for career counseling, student support and academic advising.

10. 2007 Pawley’s Group Report • Accepting the status quo or making small, incremental changes will fall short of preparing West Virginia and its citizens to compete effectively in the global marketplace.

11. 2007 Pawley’s Group Report • West Virginia must move from “random acts of progress” to a system based on the 4 Ss – • Strategic • Synergistic • Sustainable • Scalable

12. Opportunity Gap Are some students provided more opportunities than others? • Access to home computer • Knowledgeable parents to support student learning and career exploration • Participation in Support Services • Tutoring, Mentoring, ESL Classes • Participation in Extra / Co-curricular programs • Test Prep Programs • Dual Credit Programs • Early enrollment in college courses

13. Proven Results from Student Advisement Programs • Grady High School: Atlanta Public School System overcome the challenges of changing student demographics and falling test scores to regain its academic standing. Course Completion Rates • Ninety percent of Grady students completed the HSTW-recommended English curriculum in 2004, compared with 51 percent in 2000,

14. Proven Results from Student Advisement Programs AP Enrollment Patterns • Between 1998 and 2005 the number of Grady students taking at least one AP test more than tripled from 48 to 175 and the number of tests taken increased from 77 to 272, while the percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher increased slightly.

15. Proven Results from Student Advisement Programs GRADUATION RATES • Grady’s high school graduation rate for all students increased from56 percent in 2001–2002 to 89 percent in 2004–2005. (See Table 19.) • This includes all subgroups —African-American, white and economically disadvantaged. http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/publications/case_studies/05V74_Grady.pdf

16. Proven Results from Student Advisement Programs Garden City High School, Garden City, Kansas  (2005)   • the dropout rate fell from 15 percent in 1993-1994 to 3.4 percent in 2003-2004 • the attendance rose from 89 percent to 96 percent. http://www.sreb.org/Programs/HSTW/publications/PubsDisplay.asp?SubSectionID=19

17. Expected Outcomes • Greater student satisfaction with the high school experience • Improved school attendance • Fewer behavior problems • Increased achievement (measured by grades and test scores) • Lower drop-out rate • Higher graduation rate • More informed career decision making

18. Expected Outcomes for Students • Better interpersonal skills • More informed about the vast array of post-secondary opportunities • Better prepared to enter the work force • Better prepared to enter relevant and appropriate post secondary institutions • More students completing post secondary education programs

19. Expected Outcomes for Staff • A culture of continuous improvement • A collaborative learning environment • A system of support • Better behaved/ more engaged students • More knowledgeable about all aspects of your school • Enjoy coming to work

20. Other desired outcomes: • Parents have a contact at the school that they feel comfortable talking with. • Every student has a postsecondary goal and at least a 5 year plan towards achieving that goal. • Parents and students are on the same page regarding their student’s program of study and future goals.

21. Clearly articulate what LINKS is. • Standards-based • Fluid (can be adapted to fit needs of school) • Systematic and sequential • Framework and curriculum • Web-based • “Linked” to every educational component of the school • A system’s change that prepares all students for the Global 21 community • Relational and Self-directional

22. Relationships • If students know you care you can push even more • We can identify and support those who are most vulnerable?

23. Build Relationships – Change Lives “The more we increase the active participation and partnership with young people, the better we serve them. … And the more comprehensively we work with them as service partners, the more we increase our public value to the entire community.” - Carmen Martinez

24. Engage Students: Change Lives • "The secret message communicated to most young people today by the society around them is that they are not needed, that the society will run itself quite nicely until they - at some distant point in the future - will take over the reigns. Yet the fact is that the society is not running itself nicely... because the rest of us need all the energy, brains, imagination and talent that young people can bring to bear down on our difficulties. For society to attempt to solve its desperate problems without the full participation of even very young people is imbecile.“ • - Alvin Toffler

25. Two Variables to Successful Schools • Culture • Sense of inclusiveness • Shared responsibilities…It’s everyone’s job to help students succeed • Understanding individual backgrounds • Assessing attitudes • Willingness to take advice • Desire to learn • Measuring motivation • Leadership • Institutional Mission • The belief that all students can succeed Freedman Hrabowski, III

26. How will we get buy in? • Leadership is key • School principal must… • Be chief promoter of LINKS • Actively monitor program • Hold everyone accountable • Be solution-focused… not problem focused • Don’t get caught up admiring the problem • Provide ongoing professional development • See Do’s and Don’ts

27. American Student Achievement Institute LEADING CHANGE VISION LEADERSHIP Team TRANSITION COMMITMENT

28. American Student Achievement Institute VISION A lofty, bold statement of the way our school will be if all of our dreams for kids come true.

29. ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What are the desired outcomes of the advisement program that you wish to implement/improve at your school?

30. American Student Achievement Institute VISIONING EXERCISE How will our school be different as a result of LINKS? How will our students be different? How will our staff be different? How will our connection with Parents be different?

31. American Student Achievement Institute THE VALUE OF VISIONING Without a common vision, the school is a “collection of cottage industries operating in isolation under the same roof.” Source: Jerry Bamburg, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

32. Changing Attitudes • FROM: This too shall pass • TO: This is here to stay • FROM: Too much to do • TO: A lot to do now, but the payoff is well worth it • More time to teach • Fewer behavior problems

33. Changing Attitudes FROM: Losing Instructional Time TO: Every minute is a learning opportunity This IS instructional time FROM: This won’t work here. TO: What can I do to make this work? AND If we were getting the results we want we wouldn’t need to change

34. Changing Attitudes FROM: Kids won’t take it seriously TO: LINKS can be offered for credit FROM: Kids don’t care about this stuff TO: Kids need to know how much YOU care FROM: This is not my job TO: Helping students succeed is everyone’s job. It is what we are all about.

35. American Student Achievement Institute BUILDING COMMITMENT Trust Passion / Excitement Clear Communications High Expectations Low Ego / High Results Toughness

36. American Student Achievement Institute MANAGING TRANSITION Systemic Change Rate of Change Value All People Embrace the Resistance Don’t Need the Credit Don’t Take It Personally TRUST THE PROCESS

37. E VISION DATA CURRENT DATA F American Student Achievement Institute THE BALANCE OF TENSION TENSION

38. School data to consider: • Completion rate • Retention rate by grade level • Increase in number of students taking higher level courses • Disciplinary referrals (% of ISS, OSS) • Attendance Rate • Number of students participating in extra help

39. American Student Achievement Institute Continuous Improvement Fundamental change will occur in an environment supportive of change • Collaborative discussion, dialog, critique, and research • Everyone is a learner and a leader • Commitment to core convictions Source: Hilliard, A. (1991). Do we have the will to educate all children?, Educational Leadership, 49(1), 31-36.

40. System of Support • Professional Learning Communities • Time in School Schedule • Fitting into existing system • Involvement = buy in

41. LINKS Teams • Steering Committee (also decides on logistics) • Public Relations • LINKS Curriculum Team • Professional Development • Portfolio Development • Evaluation • Parental Involvement • Senior projects • Culminating Activity (Annual) • Community Service • Extra-Curricular

42. American Student Achievement Institute Collegiality VS Congeniality • Norm of Collegiality • Spirit of inquiry • Talk about practice • Observe each other • Work on curriculum • Teach one another • Norm of Congeniality • Avoid conflict • Isolation • Little team learning

43. American Student Achievement Institute STAGES OF CHANGE

44. Moving toward change… Calabrese, R. L. (2002). The leadership assignment: Creating change. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

45. Interaction of Relationships Pressure from Principals Calabrese, R. L. (2002). The leadership assignment: Creating change. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

46. American Student Achievement Institute RESISTANCE is the outward expression of the fear of losing something

47. The Unconscious Gap… Until we become aware of the existing gap between our current performance and our potential performance, we remain satisfied; we believe that we are already achieving their maximum performance. We may associate potential constructive change with a personal attack on cherished values and beliefs exposes personal weakness or deficiencies. Calabrese, R. L. (2002). The leadership assignment: Creating change. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

48. Reach for the stars…

49. American Student Achievement Institute RESISTANCE • What FEAR might be triggering the resistance? “Fear of losing _____.” • How can we help someone who has this fear?

50. Relieve fears by… • Keeping positive • Remember your vision… or BHAG Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal A lofty, bold statement of the way our school will be if all of our dreams for kids come true.